Athlon Sports No. 21

Athlon and TheInsiders.com

05/02/2003

Alabama enters the 2003 season with a new head coach in Mike Price and
a new starting quarterback in Brodie Croyle. Price lifted Washington
State to Pac-10 prominence on the basis of a potent passing game, and of
the two Bama quarterbacks who played regularly last year, Croyle's
strengths are better-suited to Price's offensive philosophy.

Tide faithful will be getting used to seeing empty-backfield and
one-back sets. Tailback returnee Shaud Williams rushed for
921 yards at over seven yards a carry last fall. The offensive line is
short of bodies, but tackle Wesley Britt and guard
Justin Smiley are battle-hardened and accomplished.

Anthony Bryant and Ahmad Childress
will step into the defensive tackle vacancies without missing a beat, and
the top three tacklers from last year all return in the back seven.

Schedule analysis: Alabama gets another shot at knocking off
Oklahoma early in the season, something it almost pulled off in Norman
last year. Southern Miss is another non-conference challenge on the home
slate. The SEC season will come down to road games against Georgia and
Auburn and home dates with LSU and Tennessee. A 2-2 split in those four
games, and the Tide will likely carry nine wins out to their unofficial
bowl game in Hawaii.

Final Word: It will be another year of adjustment for the
Crimson Tide faithful, who are welcoming a first-year coach for the third
time in seven years. (In fact, Mike Price will be the sixth coach in the
last 20 years after Bear Bryant's 25-year run.) Defensively, Alabama
will have to replace some talent along the defensive front, and the usual
depth on the roster is thinning a bit due to probation. Croyle has some
veteran receivers, but everyone on the team is a first-year player when
it comes to the new coaching staff. How well Price fits in Tuscaloosa
will ultimately be determined on Nov. 22 when the Tide visits Auburn.